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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | November 2005 
Mexico, Venezuela Continue To Discuss Venezuelan President's Criticisms
 Associated Press
| | Mexico's President Vicente Fox (L) listens to his Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez inside a hotel during the Ibero-American Summit in the historical Spanish town of Salamanca. Fox said he supported the final declaration at the summit, calling the United States' economic and trade embargo of Cuba as a 'blockade'. (Reuters/Sergio Perez) |
Mexico City – The foreign secretaries of Mexico and Venezuela had a friendly telephone conversation Saturday, as this country seeks an explanation for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stinging criticism of his Mexican counterpart, Vicente Fox.
In a statement, Mexico's Foreign Relations Department praised the "progress that has been made" in its relations with Venezuela after Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez had a "cordial and productive" talk with Ali Rodriguez, the foreign secretary of Venezuela. But Chavez's government apparently offered no apology for his comments.
On Wednesday, the Venezuelan president accused Fox of acting like a "puppy" of the United States for so staunchly supporting the U.S.-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas, or FTAA, during the Americas summit in Argentina last week.
During several days of diplomatic sparring, the Venezuelan government has refused to apologize.
"We demand a satisfactory explanation," Mexico's presidential spokesman, Ruben Aguilar told a news conference Friday. "If this doesn't happen, we will take appropriate steps." He did not elaborate.
A diplomatic dispute with Cuba in 2004 led Mexico to expel the Cuban ambassador and withdraw its own emissary to Havana, a freeze that lasted for several months. Venezuela is a close ally of Cuba.
In his remarks Wednesday, Chavez said, "It makes me sad that a heroic nation like Mexico has a president that kneels before the empire and then comes out knocking those who defend the dignity of our communities."
"How sad that the president of a great country like Mexico allowed himself to be the puppy of the (U.S.) empire," Chavez said.
The dispute with Chavez arose just as Argentina and Mexico had declared resolved a similar rift caused by an exchange of harsh words between Fox and Argentine President Nestor Kirchner.
At the Americas summit, Fox emerged as a staunch supporter of the FTAA, which aims to create the world's largest free trade zone stretching from Alaska to Argentina.
At the same time, the Mexican president accused Kirchner of neglecting his responsibility as summit host to seek consensus on restarting the trade talks because he was too concerned about his domestic public image. Kirchner responded by telling Fox to mind his own business. |
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